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2024 NFL Draft Results: Round By Round

April 26th, 2024 at 10:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us. From the No. 1 overall pick to Mr. Irrelevant (No. 257), we will be keeping tabs here:

Round 1

1. Chicago Bears (via Panthers): Caleb Williams (QB, USC)
2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels (QB, LSU)
3. New England Patriots: Drake Maye (QB, UNC)
4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR, Ohio State)
5. Los Angeles Chargers: Joe Alt (T, Notre Dame)
6. New York Giants: Malik Nabers (WR, LSU)
7. Tennessee Titans: JC Latham (T, Alabama)
8. Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr (QB, Washington)
9. Chicago Bears: Rome Odunze (WR, Washington)
10. Minnesota Vikings (via Jets): J.J. McCarthy (QB, Michigan)
11. New York Jets (via Vikings): Olu Fashanu (T, Penn State)
12. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix (QB, Oregon)
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Brock Bowers (TE, Georgia)
14. New Orleans Saints: Taliese Fuaga (T, Oregon State)
15. Indianapolis Colts: Laiatu Latu (EDGE, UCLA)
16. Seattle Seahawks: Byron Murphy (DT, Texas)
17. Minnesota Vikings (via Jaguars): Dallas Turner (EDGE, Alabama)
18. Cincinnati Bengals: Amarius Mims (T, Georgia)
19. Los Angeles Rams: Jared Verse (EDGE, Florida State)
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Fautanu (OL, Washington)
21. Miami Dolphins: Chop Robinson (EDGE, Penn State)
22. Philadelphia Eagles: Quinyon Mitchell (CB, Toledo)
23 Jacksonville Jaguars (from Browns through Texans and Vikings): Brian Thomas Jr. (WR, LSU)
24. Detroit Lions (from Cowboys): Terrion Arnold (CB, Alabama)
25. Green Bay Packers: Jordan Morgan (OT, Arizona)
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Graham Barton (OL, Duke)
27. Arizona Cardinals (from Texans): Darius Robinson (DL, Missouri)
28. Kansas City Chiefs (from Bills): Xavier Worthy (WR, Texas)
29. Dallas Cowboys (from Lions): Tyler Guyton (OT, Oklahoma)
30. Baltimore Ravens: Nate Wiggins (CB, Clemson)
31. San Francisco 49ers: Ricky Pearsall (WR, Florida)
32. Carolina Panthers (from Chiefs through Bills): Xavier Legette (WR, South Carolina)

Round 2

33. Buffalo Bills (from Panthers): Keon Coleman (WR, Florida State)
34. Los Angeles Chargers (via Patriots): Ladd McConkey (WR, Georgia)
35. Atlanta Falcons (from Cardinals): Ruke Orhorhoro (DT, Clemson)
36. Washington Commanders: Jer’Zhan Newton (DT, Illinois)
37. New England Patriots (via Chargers): Ja’Lynn Polk (WR, Washington)
38. Tennessee Titans: T’Vondre Sweat (DT, Texas)
39. Los Angeles Rams (from Giants through Panthers): Braden Fiske (DT, Florida State)
40. Philadelphia Eagles (from Bears through Commanders): Cooper DeJean (CB, Iowa)
41. New Orleans Saints (from Jets through Packers): Kool-Aid McKinstry (CB, Alabama)
42. Houston Texans (from Vikings): Kamari Lassiter (CB, Georgia)
43. Arizona Cardinals (from Falcons): Max Melton (CB, Rutgers)
44. Las Vegas Raiders: Jackson Powers-Johnson (OL, Oregon)
45. Green Bay Packers (from Broncos through Saints): Edgerrin Cooper, LB (Texas A&M)
46. Carolina Panthers (from Colts): Jonathon Brooks (RB, Texas)
47. New York Giants (from Seahawks): Tyler Nubin (S, Minnesota)
48. Jacksonville Jaguars: Maason Smith (DT, LSU)
49. Cincinnati Bengals: Kris Jenkins Jr. (DT, Michigan)
50. Washington Commanders (from Saints through Eagles): Mike Sainristil (CB, Michigan)
51. Pittsburgh Steelers: Zach Frazier (C, West Virginia)
52. Indianapolis Colts (from Rams through Panthers): Adonai Mitchell (WR, Texas)
53. Washington Commanders (from Eagles): Ben Sinnott (TE
54. Cleveland Browns: Michael Hall (DT, Ohio State)
55. Miami Dolphins: Patrick Paul (OT, Houston)
56. Dallas Cowboys: Marshawn Kneeland (EDGE, Western Michigan)
57. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chris Braswell (EDGE, Alabama)
58. Green Bay Packers: Javon Bullard (S, Georgia)
59. Houston Texans: Blake Fisher (T, Notre Dame)
60. Buffalo Bills: Cole Bishop (S, Utah)
61. Detroit Lions: Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (CB, Missouri)
62. Baltimore Ravens: Roger Rosengarten (T, Washington)
63. Kansas City Chiefs (from 49ers): Kingsley Suamataia (T, BYU)
64. San Francisco 49ers (from Chiefs): Renardo Green (CB, Florida State)

Round 3

65. New York Jets (from Panthers): Malachi Corley (WR, Western Kentucky)
66. Arizona Cardinals: Trey Benson, RB (Florida State)
67. Washington Commanders: Brandon Coleman (OL, TCU)
68. New England Patriots: Caeden Wallace (OT, Penn State)
69. Los Angeles Chargers: Junior Colson (LB, Michigan)
70. New York Giants: Andru Phillips (CB, Kentucky)
71. Arizona Cardinals (from Titans): Isaiah Adams (G, Illinois)
72. Carolina Panthers (from Jets): Trevin Wallace (LB, Kentucky)
73. Dallas Cowboys (from Vikings through Lions): Cooper Beebe (G, Kansas State)
74. Atlanta Falcons: Bralen Trice (EDGE, Washington)
75. Chicago Bears: Kiran Amegadjie (OT, Yale)
76. Denver Broncos: Jonah Elliss (EDGE, Utah)
77. Las Vegas Raiders: Delmar Glaze (T, Maryland)
78. Houston Texans (from Seahawks though Commanders and Eagles): Calen Bullock (S, USC)
79. Indianapolis Colts (from Jaguars through Falcons and Cardinals): Matt Goncalves (T, Pittsburgh)
80. Cincinnati Bengals: Jermaine Burton, WR (Alabama)
81. Seattle Seahawks (from Saints through Broncos): Christian Haynes (G, UConn)
82. Arizona Cardinals (from Colts): Tip Reiman (TE, Illinois)
83. Los Angeles Rams: Blake Corum (RB, Michigan)
84. Pittsburgh Steelers: Roman Wilson (WR, Michigan)
85. Cleveland Browns: Zak Zinter (G, Michigan)
86. San Francisco 49ers (from Eagles through Texans and Eagles): Dominick Puni (OL, Kansas)
87. Dallas Cowboys: Marist Liufau (LB, Notre Dame)
88. Green Bay Packers: MarShawn Lloyd (RB, USC)
89. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tykee Smith (S, Georgia)
90. Arizona Cardinals (from Texans): Elijah Jones (CB, Boston College)
91. Green Bay Packers (from Bills): Ty’Ron Hopper (LB, Missouri)
92. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Lions): Jalen McMillan (WR, Washington)
93. Baltimore Ravens: Adisa Isaac (EDGE, Penn State)
94. Philadelphia Eagles (from 49ers): Jalyx Hunt (EDGE, Houston Christian)
95. Buffalo Bills (from Chiefs): DeWayne Carter (DT, Duke)
96. Jacksonville Jaguars*: Jarrian Jones (CB, Florida State)
97. Cincinnati Bengals*: McKinley Jackson (DT, Texas A&M)
98. Pittsburgh Steelers (from Eagles)*: Payton Wilson (LB, NC State)
99. Los Angeles Rams*: Kamren Kinchens (S, Miami)
100. Washington Commanders*: Luke McCaffrey (WR, Rice)

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2024 NFL Draft Results: Team By Team

April 26th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the 2024 NFL Draft gets underway, we will keep track of each team’s haul here:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Round 1, No. 4: Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR, Ohio State)
  • Round 1, No. 27 (from Texans): Darius Robinson (DL, Missouri)
  • Round 2, No. 43 (from Falcons): Max Melton (CB, Rutgers)
  • Round 3, No. 66: Trey Benson, RB (Florida State)
  • Round 3, No. 71 (from Titans): Isaiah Adams (G, Illinois)
  • Round 3, No. 82 (from Colts): Tip Reiman (TE, Illinois)
  • Round 3, No. 90 (from Texans): Elijah Jones (CB, Boston College)
  • Round 4, No. 104:
  • Round 5, No. 138:
  • Round 5, No. 162 (from Texans):
  • Round 6, No. 191 (from Colts):
  • Round 7, No. 226 (from Giants):

Atlanta Falcons

  • Round 1, No. 8: Michael Penix Jr (QB, Washington)
  • Round 2, No. 35 (from Cardinals): DT Ruke Orhorhoro
  • Round 3, No. 74: Bralen Trice (EDGE, Washington)
  • Round 4, No. 109:
  • Round 5, No. 143:
  • Round 6, No. 186 (from Vikings through Cardinals):
  • Round 6, No. 187:
  • Round 6, 197 (from Browns):

Baltimore Ravens

  • Round 1, No. 30: Nate Wiggins (CB, Clemson)
  • Round 2, No. 62: Roger Rosengarten (T, Washington)
  • Round 3, No. 93: Adisa Isaac (EDGE, Penn State)
  • Round 4, No. 113 (from Broncos through Jets):
  • Round 4, No. 130:
  • Round 5, No. 165:
  • Round 6, No. 218 (from Jets):
  • Round 7, No. 228 (from Jets):
  • Round 7, No. 250:

Buffalo Bills

  • Round 2, No. 33 (from Panthers): Keon Coleman (WR, Florida State)
  • Round 2, No. 60: Cole Bishop (S, Utah)
  • Round 3, No. 95 (from Chiefs): DeWayne Carter, DT (Duke)
  • Round 4, No. 128:
  • Round 5, No. 141 (from Giants through Panthers):
  • Round 5: No. 144 (from Bears):
  • Round 5, No. 160 (from Packers):
  • Round 5, No. 163:
  • Round 6, No. 204:
  • Round 7, No. 221 (from Panthers through Titans and Chiefs):

Carolina Panthers

  • Round 1, No. 32 (from Chiefs through Bills): Xavier Legette (WR, South Carolina)
  • Round 2, No. 46 (from Colts): Jonathon Brooks (RB, Texas)
  • Round 3, No. 72 (from Jets): Trevin Wallace (LB, Kentucky)
  • Round 4, No. 101:
  • Round 5, No. 157 (from Browns through Vikings):
  • Round 6: No. 200 (from Cowboys through Texans and Bills):
  • Round 7, No. 240 (from Steelers):

Chicago Bears

  • Round 1: No. 1 (from Panthers): Caleb Williams (QB, USC)
  • Round 1, No. 9: Rome Odunze (WR, Washington)
  • Round 3, No. 75:
  • Round 4, No. 122 (from Eagles):

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Round 1, No. 18: Amarius Mims (T, Georgia)
  • Round 2, No. 49: Kris Jenkins Jr. (DT, Michigan)
  • Round 3, No. 80: Jermaine Burton, WR (Alabama)
  • Round 3, No. 97: McKinley Jackson (DT, Texas A&M)
  • Round 4, No. 115:
  • Round 5, No. 149:
  • Round 6, No. 194:
  • Round 6, No. 214:
  • Round 7, No. 224 (from Cardinals through Texans):
  • Round 7, No. 237:

Cleveland Browns

  • Round 2, No. 54: Michael Hall (DT, Ohio State)
  • Round 3, No. 85: Zak Zinter (G, Michigan)
  • Round 5, No. 156 (from Eagles through Cardinals):
  • Round 6, No. 206 (from Ravens):
  • Round 7, No. 227 (from Titans):
  • Round 7, No. 243:

Dallas Cowboys

  • Round 1, No. 29 (from Lions): Tyler Guyton (OT, Oklahoma)
  • Round 2, No. 56: Marshawn Kneeland (EDGE, Western Michigan)
  • Round 3, No. 73 (from Vikings through Lions): Cooper Beebe (G, Kansas State)
  • Round 3, No. 87: Marist Liufau (LB, Notre Dame)
  • Round 5, No. 174:
  • Round 6, No. 216:
  • Round 7, No. 233 (from Raiders):
  • Round 7, No. 244:

Denver Broncos

  • Round 1, No. 12: Bo Nix (QB, Oregon)
  • Round 3, No. 76: Jonah Elliss (EDGE, Utah)
  • Round 4, No. 121 (from Dolphins):
  • Round 5, No. 136 (from Panthers through Browns):
  • Round 5, No. 145 (from Jets):
  • Round 5, No. 147:
  • Round 6, No. 207 (from 49ers):

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Falcons Acquire No. 35 From Cardinals

April 26th, 2024 at 6:29pm CST by Ely Allen

After a stunning start (per Kirk Cousins, at least) to Round 1, the Falcons are moving up the board to open Round 2. They are acquiring No. 35 from the Cardinals. Atlanta will pick up Nos. 35 and 186, while Arizona will add Nos. 43 and 79. The Falcons used the pick on Clemson de

Born Oghenerukevwe Orhorhoro, Ruke spent five years at Clemson, but he didn’t start for the Tigers until his redshirt sophomore year in 2021. Orhorhoro was a consistently disruptive presence, logging eight tackles for loss in each of his three seasons as a starter while piling up 11.5 sacks over that same period.

Atlanta continues to confuse most following the draft with their selections. After yesterday’s debacle with Michael Penix Jr., they once again trade up in order to address a position that most wouldn’t see as an immediate need on their roster.

With David Onyemata and Grady Jarrett signed for the next two years, Orhorhoro will likely be coming off the bench as an interior rotation in 2024. It was also a little shocking to see Orhorhoro, who could’ve been available later in the second round, get traded up for before some higher ranking defensive tackles in the draft.

With the two new picks from Atlanta, the Cardinals now hold five Day 2 picks. They’ll have the 43rd overall pick in the second round as well as the 66th, 71st, 79th, and 90th picks, all in the third round later tonight.

QB Draft Notes: Penix, Daniels, Nix, Raiders

April 26th, 2024 at 5:26pm CST by Adam La Rose

The biggest surprise of the first round was Michael Penix Jr. hearing his name called eighth overall. The Falcons added to their quarterback room with their top selection, despite having signed Kirk Cousins in free agency last month.

The latter was taken aback by the decision, one which he became aware of while Atlanta was on the clock. Cousins is in place as the starter for multiple years, leaving Penix as a long-term developmental option (albeit one who is older than many other Day 1 signal-callers placed in a similar position). To no surprise, plenty of speculation has resulted from the Penix selection.

Owner Arthur Blank is believed to have driven this move, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reports. The quarterback position was seen as a sore spot entering the 2024 offseason and while the Cousins signing marked a short-term upgrade, the Penix addition is of course one aimed at future stability under center. Owners are often involved in major moves at the top of the draft board such as this one, but how the 2024 season (and beyond) unfolds with GM Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris at the helm will make for a key storyline vis-à-vis Penix’s path to playing time.

Here are some other QB-related draft notes:

  • Penix was the fourth signal-caller selected on Thursday, but Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes the Heisman runner-up was ranked third on the Falcons’ board. Some in the organization even had Penix second, Breer adds. The Washington alum was seen in some circles as a borderline Day 1 prospect, but his top-10 selection has cemented his status as a central figure in Atlanta’s long-term plans while also helping the value of his rookie contract.
  • As the top of the first round order played according to expectation, Jayden Daniels was selected second overall by the Commanders. That move came about after the team held an unusual evaluation featuring overlapping visits amongst the class’ best quarterbacks. While that limited Daniels’ availability to get face-to-face time on his own in many respects, Breer notes the Heisman winner was the only prospect who was permitted an “extended, exclusive meeting” with new owner Josh Harris. Given that update, it comes as even less of a surprise Washington followed through with drafting Daniels upon turning down trade interest.
  • Bo Nix was often mentioned alongside Penix as part of the 2024 class’ second tier of passers. Denver added him with the No. 12 pick, though, making him the sixth QB to hear his name called. The Broncos had Nix positioned third on their board, per Troy Renck of the Denver Post. With every other Day 1 passer having previously come off the board, that internal ranking is of course a relatively moot point. Nix will nevertheless enter one of the more intriguing quarterback rooms in 2024.
  • One of the suitors left out in terms of QB pursuit was the Raiders, a team known to have been very high on Daniels in particular. Vegas’ decision-makers were of the opinion there was a “sizable gap” between the top tier of Caleb Williams, Daniels and Drake Maye and the other passers, however, as The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reports (subscription required). For that reason, Tafur notes it would have been unlikely the Raiders drafted Penix or Nix even if they were on the board with the 13th pick. In an case, the team added tight end Brock Bowers with its top selection as part of the unprecedented run on offensive players to begin the draft.

Colts Attempted To Move Up In First Round

April 26th, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

In the build-up to last night’s opening round of the draft, the Colts were one of several teams mentioned as a suitor regarding a move up the order. Adding a receiver or highly-touted tight end Brock Bowers was a reported goal, but the team ultimately wound up focusing on the opposite of the ball.

After an historic start to the draft with 14 straight offensive players coming off the board, Indianapolis selected UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu. That decision came after a concerted effort was made to trade up, however. General manager Chris Ballard spoke on that front following the first round’s conclusion.

“We had some serious, serious discussions,” Ballard said (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star). “With big offers, by the way.”

Fox59’s Mike Chappell notes, meanwhile, that a Colts move up the order would have likely been aimed at acquiring LSU wideout Malik Nabers. Indianapolis was known to be high on Marvin Harrison Jr., but a trade putting the team in range for either pass-catcher would have come at a high price. To little surprise, Harrison was selected fourth overall by the Cardinals, while Nabers went two picks later to the Giants.

With respect to the Latu selection, that came as a surprise to many. Part of the reason that is the case is the fact Indianapolis did not meet in person with the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, as noted by ESPN’s Stephen Holder. Latu’s medicals (stemming from a neck surgery which threatened his future ability to play football) made him one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2024 class. Teams often spend considerable time speaking with players with such potential concerns, but the Colts were comfortable using their top pick absent in-person discussions in this case.

Indianapolis was not the only team keen on selecting Latu. Steve Wyche of NFL Network reports the Falcons attempted to trade back into the first-round order and in doing so add the former Bruins sack artist (video link). Atlanta provided the largest surprise of the night by selecting Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall, but adding Latu would have addressed the team’s more immediate roster hole along the edge. Instead, the Colts remained in place at No. 15 and added a high-upside presence in their front seven.

Kirk Cousins ‘Stunned’ By Falcons’ Decision To Draft Michael Penix Jr.

April 26th, 2024 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

Upon signing Kirk Cousins, the Falcons informed him they were planning to take a quarterback in the later rounds. Just before the team decided to shift course, the high-priced free agency pickup received a rather important phone call.

The Falcons did inform their $45MM-per-year quarterback they were planning to use the No. 8 overall pick on Michael Penix Jr. They did so upon going on the clock. But the longtime Vikings starter is believed to have been stunned by his new team’s decision, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reports.

As should be expected, Cousins is concerned this pick does not help the Falcons for the 2024 season, according to Russini (subscription required). Viewed at points as a potential late-first-round prospect, Penix did become connected to the Falcons early this week. But the team’s decision to follow up the Cousins contract — which includes a $100MM practical guarantee, one that ties the 35-year-old passer to Atlanta through 2026 — by selecting the recent national championship game starter was easily the most surprising first-round move.

“He got called on the clock, obviously because of the sensitive time with the issues of what you got going on,” Falcons HC Raheem Morris said of the team’s decision to notify Cousins. “It’s never a right time to talk to a quarterback about those things. And reactions are always going to be private when it comes to those things, unless Kirk decides to tell you some of those things that are whatever they may be. But he’s a competitor, just like us all. And you can always expect those things to go just like you kind of think.”

It is not unusual for teams to follow up free agency acquisitions with first-round QB picks, but those moves generally come after a team added a bridge-type passer on the market. Cousins is not that, and an unusual setup is now in place in which Penix learns on the job — potentially for multiple seasons. The Packers are the only team in the fifth-year option era to park a first-round passer for multiple years, but Jordan Love arrived as a No. 26 overall pick. With Penix going eighth, this marks new territory for QB commitment.

Atlanta’s No. 8 draft slot played a key role in the team’s logic here, as Morris said the team views it as unlikely — based largely on Cousins’ status — it will be picking in the top 10 again anytime soon. This is a common refrain among teams, though the Falcons have held a top-10 pick in each of Terry Fontenot‘s four offseasons as GM. Their odds to win the NFC South did improve after Cousins’ arrival, but Penix will probably not move the needle for 2024.

“Kirk Cousins our quarterback. We are very excited about Kirk and this team,” Fontenot said, via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “We’re very excited about that quarterback room. Kirk is our quarterback. Adding Michael Penix is thinking about the future.”

The Falcons were confident in last season’s Division I-FBS passing leader throughout the pre-draft process, per ESPN.com’s Pete Thamel, who adds the team sent an eight-man contingent — which included Morris, GM Terry Fontenot and OC Zac Robinson — to Seattle to meet with the standout southpaw.

Penix did not take a “30” visit to Atlanta, Russini adds, though the sides had scheduled a meeting in March. While it is less common for a team to make this sort of investment without going through with a visit, that move could have tripped alarms around the league. That said, Penix was highly unlikely to be chosen before the Falcons went on the clock at 8 regardless of his visit schedule.

Coaches were viewed as generally higher than scouts on Penix, with some mechanical issues impacting thet deep-ball maven’s stock. He should have plenty of time to iron those out. Sean Payton said Thursday night he believed the Raiders were targeting Penix, and they had been linked to the Washington prospect. But their plans may well have changed when the Falcons doubled down at the game’s premier position.

Expected to devote the No. 8 choice to defense, the Falcons will be tasked with addressing that side of the ball beginning tonight. Not using No. 8 overall to help a Cousins-led team does create an uphill battle on the roster-building front. Their timeline with Cousins will be fascinating now, as the team will not stand to benefit much from Penix’s rookie contract thanks to the Cousins commitment. The Falcons gave Cousins a no-trade clause, according to OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald, who adds it would cost $35MM for Atlanta to cut ties with the veteran in 2026.

The Packers did not benefit much from Love’s rookie deal, stashing him behind Aaron Rodgers — which created a few headlines during the four-time MVP’s final Green Bay years — for three seasons. That blueprint also involved the Pack trading up for a 21-year-old QB; Penix will turn 24 in May. Green Bay is the only team to execute an extended-runway plan at QB since the 2011 CBA reshaped roster building; it will be interesting to see how the Falcons’ Cousins-Penix effort goes.

Falcons Draft QB Michael Penix Jr. With No. 8 Pick

April 25th, 2024 at 8:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

The first major surprise of the 2024 draft has arrived. With the eighth overall pick, the Falcons have drafted Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

This surprises on a number of levels, with Penix being ranked as the fifth- or sixth-best quarterback in the draft and after Atlanta signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180MM deal. But a Penix-to-Atlanta scenario emerged on the radar earlier this week. Still, this qualifies as a shock for an NFC South team that could have bolstered a now-Cousins-dependent roster with a best-player-available-type pick.

Still, Penix is a strong addition to the roster at No. 8 overall. Penix led the country in passing yards per game en route to becoming the Huskies’ all-time single-season passing leader with 4,641 yards while scoring 31 touchdowns through the air and four more on the ground in 2022. He followed that up with a 14-1 season that would take Washington to the National Championship game. Penix broke his own single-season record with 4,903 passing yards (thanks to two extra games) and passed for 36 touchdowns while rushing for three more. He led the FBS in passing yards, but even with his extra games, he also led the country in passing yards per game for the second season in a row.

This is one of the big shocks of the draft because many teams didn’t even have a first-round value on Penix. The consensus seems to be that Penix has first-round potential in his game, but he has to stay on the field in order to show it.

Penix would redshirt his freshman year with the Hoosiers, appearing in only three games before tearing his ACL. After returning from his injury, Penix entered his redshirt freshman year as the starter. Unfortunately, Penix’s season early after a sternoclavicular joint sprain and clavicle fracture on his non-throwing, right shoulder would keep him out for the back half of the season. Penix would return in 2020 as the starter once again before suffering a second torn ACL to end his third season. His time in Bloomington ended, once again, with his fourth season-ending injury, this one a dislocated joint in his throwing shoulder.

Instead of laying down to watch his football career die, Penix opted to hop into the transfer portal. Thanks to his utilized redshirt and the extra year of eligibility granted to players in school during the 2020 COVID-19 impacted season, the lefty passer still had two years of eligibility left, and finally, in Seattle, Penix was offered the opportunity to play for a contender. Penix became the starter at Washington and immediately led the Huskies to a winning season following their 4-8 2021 campaign.

The Falcons have decided to look past his extensive injury in favor of his 28 straight healthy games in Seattle. They also decided to look past the fact that he is about to turn 24 years old after six years in college.

The second shock of the situation comes from the fact that Cousins is set to run the Atlanta quarterbacks room for the next few years. Or, at least, it would appear that way. The Falcons gave the soon-to-be 36-year-old passer a $100MM practical guarantee, effectively tying the former Washington and Minnesota passer to the team through 2026. Other than the Packers, teams do not make a habit of extended QB developmental programs. The Falcons did not alert Cousins this pick was coming, per NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, setting up an interesting dynamic in their QB room to start the Raheem Morris era.

Atlanta dedicated significant cap space to acquiring Cousins just weeks before drafting his heir apparent in Penix. This will give Penix a good amount of time to grow and learn behind a veteran, a la Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love, but it seems like a wild swing to utilize such a high draft pick on a quarterback who was expected to be around a bit longer.

Also of note with the selection of Penix is that this now marks the first time since at least 1970 that no defensive players have been selected in the first eight picks. The closest was in 2021, when Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn was selected eighth overall.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

2025 NFL Fifth-Year Option Tracker

April 24th, 2024 at 10:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

NFL teams have until May 2 to officially pick up fifth-year options on 2021 first-rounders. The 2020 CBA revamped the option structure and made them fully guaranteed, rather than guaranteed for injury only. Meanwhile, fifth-year option salaries are now determined by a blend of the player’s position, initial draft placement and performance- and usage-based benchmarks:

  • Two-time Pro Bowlers (excluding alternates) will earn the same as their position’s franchise tag
  • One-time Pro Bowlers will earn the equivalent of the transition tag
  • Players who achieve any of the following will receive the average of the third-20th-highest salaries at their position:
    • At least a 75% snap rate in two of their first three seasons
    • A 75% snap average across all three seasons
    • At least 50% in each of first three seasons
  • Players who do not hit any of those benchmarks will receive the average of the third-25th top salaries at their position

With the deadline looming, we will use the space below to track all the option decisions from around the league:

  1. QB Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars ($25.66MM)
  2. QB Zach Wilson, Broncos* ($22.41MM)
  3. QB Trey Lance, Cowboys** ($22.41MM)
  4. TE Kyle Pitts, Falcons ($10.88MM)
  5. WR Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals ($21.82MM): Exercised
  6. WR Jaylen Waddle, Dolphins ($15.59MM): To be exercised
  7. T Penei Sewell, Lions ($19MM): Extended through 2029
  8. CB Jaycee Horn, Panthers ($12.47MM): Exercised
  9. CB Patrick Surtain, Broncos ($19.82MM): Exercised
  10. WR DeVonta Smith, Eagles ($15.59MM): Extended through 2028
  11. QB Justin Fields, Steelers*** ($25.66MM): To be declined
  12. DE Micah Parsons, Cowboys ($21.32MM): Exercised
  13. T Rashawn Slater, Chargers ($19MM)
  14. OL Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jets ($13.31MM)
  15. QB Mac Jones, Jaguars**** ($25.66MM)
  16. LB Zaven Collins, Cardinals ($13.25MM)
  17. T Alex Leatherwood, Raiders: N/A
  18. LB Jaelan Phillips, Dolphins ($13.3MM): To be exercised
  19. LB Jamin Davis, Commanders ($14.48MM): Declined
  20. WR Kadarius Toney, Chiefs***** ($14.35MM)
  21. DE Kwity Paye, Colts ($13.4MM)
  22. CB Caleb Farley, Titans ($12.47MM)
  23. T Christian Darrisaw, Vikings ($16MM)
  24. RB Najee Harris, Steelers ($6.79MM): Expected to be exercised
  25. RB Travis Etienne, Jaguars ($6.14MM)
  26. CB Greg Newsome, Browns ($13.38MM): To be exercised
  27. WR Rashod Bateman, Ravens ($14.35MM): Extended through 2026
  28. DE Payton Turner, Saints ($13.39MM)
  29. CB Eric Stokes, Packers ($12.47MM)
  30. DE Greg Rousseau, Bills ($13.39MM)
  31. LB Odafe Oweh, Ravens ($13.25MM)
  32. LB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Buccaneers ($13.25MM)

* = Jets traded Wilson on April 22, 2024
** = 49ers traded Lance on August 25, 2023
*** = Bears traded Fields on March 16, 2024
**** = Patriots traded Jones on March 10, 2024
***** = Giants traded Toney on October 27, 2022

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/23/24

April 23rd, 2024 at 9:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Kansas City Chiefs

New England Patriots

The Patriots have recently been seeking some depth at tight end, as the team hosted three players at the position last week (per ESPN’s Mike Reiss). The team ultimately opted for the six-foot-four, 250-pound Wilcox. The former UDFA out of South Florida spent his first four seasons in Cincinnati, where he often alternated between the practice squad and active roster. He had a career year in 2022, finishing with 17 catches. However, he followed that up with a 2023 campaign where he caught only nine passes.

Hunter Henry will continue to lead New England’s tight ends depth chart in 2024 after he re-signed with the organization. The Patriots also signed veteran Austin Hooper to replace Mike Gesicki, who left via free agency. Mitchell will likely compete with La’Michael Pettway for the third TE spot.

In Kansas City, the Chiefs retained Cochrane, who was tendered as a restricted free agent earlier this offseason. The former UDFA out of South Dakota has won a pair of Super Bowls in two seasons in Kansas City, appearing in 32 regular season games and seven postseason contests along the way. He’s turned into a key special teams player for the Chiefs, appearing in 336 ST snaps in 2023. He also got some run on defense, finishing the campaign with 28 total tackles.

Latest On Michael Penix Jr.’s Draft Stock

April 23rd, 2024 at 8:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye have sat relatively firmly atop mock drafts throughout the pre-draft process, and it sounds like J.J. McCarthy is destined to join that trio in the first round. After those top-four quarterbacks, focus shifts to Michael Penix Jr., and it remains to be seen how early the Washington product will hear his name called.

While teams like the Patriots (No. 3) and Giants (No. 6) have recently been connected to Penix, it’s more likely those teams would only consider the quarterback in trade-back scenarios. As a result, Albert Breer of SI.com believes the earliest Penix could be selected is by the Falcons at No. 8.

This would be an unexpected move by Atlanta, considering the team’s sizable offseason commitment to Kirk Cousins. However, since Penix has generally been viewed as less NFL-ready than his positional counterparts, the Falcons could secure their QB of the future while also competing now. As Breer notes, the duo of GM Terry Fontenot and head coach Raheem Morris could be enticed by a “Jordan Love-like plan” at quarterback, and they’ll likely be in prime position to select the Washington signal caller with their first-round pick.

While the Raiders could be ready to pounce on Penix at No. 13, there’s been some belief in league circles that the QB could land with the Seahawks at No. 16. The organization has plenty of connections to the incoming rookie. Besides being a local prospect, Penix is also familiar with new Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and offensive line coach Scott Huff, who were both poached from the Huskies staff. We heard similar rumblings surrounding the Seahawks/Penix connection earlier this month.

However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter cautions that the Seahawks may not be a logical landing spot for the quarterback. For starters, GM John Schneider has only drafted a pair of quarterbacks in his 15 years at the helm (Russell Wilson and Alex McGough). Further, the Seahawks are high on offseason acquisition Sam Howell as a future replacement for Geno Smith. Plus, Howell is the same age as Penix and already has 18 games of NFL experience.

If Penix isn’t selected in the top half of the first round, it’s uncertain how far he could fall. Yahoo’s Charles Robinson notes that there are several teams that have a “second-round grade on him or lower.” Penix has continued to be a divisive prospect, with one NFL offensive coach previously declaring him as the No. 2 QB in the draft (behind Williams).

Part of the skepticism is naturally surrounding the player’s injury history, as Penix suffered four season-ending injuries during his time in college. The QB was also knocked for his “scattershot accuracy underneath,” although Penix seemed to alleviate some of those concerns with a strong pro day showing. The varying opinions of the signal caller will make him one of the more intriguing prospects to watch through the first two days of the draft.

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